morning the three ladies, all in white from head to foot, came,
with the sound of music, to thank him for ransoming them, and they
gave him to choose among them for a wife. Now the youngest of them had
grown nearest his heart, and he declared himself ready to marry her,
not at once, but later, for first he wished to see something of the
world.

This being the case, they gave him a ham, a wooden flask of wine, a
loaf of bread, three dogs, and a pipe which hung by a golden chain,
and they told him that these dogs would come to his aid in every time
of need; he had only to call them by means of his pipe. And should he
be tired, he had only to seat himself upon one of them. So he took all
these things and went forth to see the world.

One day when he was travelling through a forest he arrived at a castle
and turned aside to enter. But the steps which led up were of such a
kind that he could not climb them; so he seated himself upon one of
his dogs and the animal carried him up. As he passed through the
entrance he peeped through a window and saw a Tiger and his wife, who
was combing his hair.

He went in to where they were, and the Tiger at once arose, led him
from room to room, and showed him many wonderful things. Everything
pleased the young man, except that the Tiger's wife kept the dogs shut
up in a room apart.

When he entered the fourth room he went around it, gazing upon the
many statues and paintings; and while thus doing he stepped upon a
board which gave way and let him fall into a cellar where it was as
dark as pitch. He groped around for a way of escape, but a damp, heavy
wind seemed to sweep all around him, and first he would wound his hand
and then his foot. So he thought to himself, "You won't come safely
out of this!"

After a while the Tiger let himself down by a rope, butcher-knife in
hand, intending to kill him. The young man begged for a half-hour's
respite, that he might do penance for his sins. This was granted, but
the time soon flew by, and the Tiger was already whetting his knife to
stab him, when the young man sprang aside, and his hand met the chain
upon which the pipe was hanging. He blew upon it, and quick as thought
the dogs were on the spot. He set them upon the Tiger, but as they
fell upon him the Tiger begged humbly for life, promising that his
wife would draw him and his dogs up out of the cellar.

So it came to pass; but they were no sooner out than he again set the
dogs upon the